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| Full name | Unión Española S.A.D.P. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicknames | La Furia (The Fury) El Rojo (The Red) Hispanos (Hispanics) | ||
| Founded | 18 May 1897; 128 years ago (1897-05-18) as Centro Español de Instrucción y Recreación | ||
| Ground | Estadio Santa Laura | ||
| Capacity | 19,000[1] | ||
| Owner | Jorge Segovia | ||
| Chairman | Arturo Juarros | ||
| Manager | Miguel Ponce | ||
| League | Chilean Primera División | ||
| 2024 | Primera División, 6th of 16 | ||
| Website | www | ||
Club Unión Española S.A.D.P. is a professionalfootball club based in theIndependencia neighborhood, commune ofSantiago, Chile currently participating in thePrimera División de Chile.
The team was founded as Centro Español de Instrucción y Recreación on 18 May 1897 by a group of Spanish immigrants resident in Chile. In 1918 two other teams were founded: Club Ciclista Ibérico and the Club Ibérico Balompié. Both clubs merged in 1922, becoming the club, Unión Deportiva Española. The club operated as titular team in theEstadio Santa Laura.
In the first seasons of the club, Unión Deportiva Española participated in the championship of theAsociación de Fútbol de Santiago. In this tournament the club won his first two consecutive titles in theCopa Chile, in the seasons of 1924 and 1925. The team was led by hiscaptain, the Spanish defenderJuan Legarreta.
In 1927, following the merger of the National Football Federation occurred the year before, the championship was called Liga Central de Football. Because of the participation of too many clubs, league was divided into two categories in 1927 and 1928: the Serie A and Serie B. The club also was in the Serie A. In 1928, Unión Deportiva Española was awarded its second title, after winning the Liga Central de Fútbol.
In May 1933, Unión Deportiva Española withColo-Colo, Santiago Badminton,Audax Italiano,Green Cross,Magallanes and Santiago National, were the clubs that founded the Professional League of Chile, part of theAsociación de Fútbol de Santiago. In the Apertura Championship of the same year, Unión achieved the runner-up, after lossing the final against Colo-Colo, in a 2–1 loss. In the Official Championship, the club finished in the fourth place of eight teams.
In the next year, with the final fusion of Centro Español de Instrucción y Recreación and Unión Deportiva Española, in 1934, the club take definitely the name ofUnión Española (being re–founded symbolically on 9 December 1935).
In 1939, Unión only played one match in the Primera División 1939 (against Colo-Colo), under the name ofCentral, in the first week of the tournament. Because theSpanish Civil War of this year, the club's leadership entered in recess for one year. In the next season, Unión had a youth squad during the Primera División tournament of 1940, but the team finished in the tenth place. In 1943, Unión won his first professional title in the Primera División.
After the runner-up achieved in 1945, 1948, in 1950, the team once was runner-up, after lossing the Championship play-offs againstEverton for 1–0, with a goal of René Meléndez. Unión once win the Primera División title in 1951 under the Spanish coachIsidro Lángara. This title was the second in Unión Española's history.
Under the ArgentineNestor Isella as coach, Unión Española was the runner-up of thePrimera División Chilena in 1970, after a loss in the final match againstColo-Colo in January 1971. However, being the runner-up allowed to Unión to participate for the first time in theCopa Libertadores. In theCopa Libertadores 1971, the club finished first in the group stage, qualifying for the semi-finals, but Unión was eliminated in the group in the last position. Whilst in the local tournament, Unión finished in the third place. In the next season, the club once again was runner-up against Colo-Colo and qualified to Copa Libertadores.
In the season of 1973, with the arrival of the coachLuis Santibáñez to the club, Unión was proclaimed champion of Primera División for the second time, and the team had also the highest goalscorer of the tournament, Guillermo Yávar. In the international tournaments, Unión had a poor performance during theCopa Libertadores 1973, finishing in the last position of the group stage.
On the next season, the coach Luis Santibáñez went toDeportes Ovalle, but he returned to the club in June 1974. In the tournaments Unión had a regular season, finished in the fourth place of the Primera División of 1974 and finishing in the last position of the group stage of Copa Libertadores. However, Unión won the Copa Libertadores play-offs and qualified to the Copa Libertadores of the next year.
One of the most successful seasons of Union Española's history was the 1975 season, winning the national tournament and the runner-up achieved in theCopa Libertadores againstIndependiente ofAvellaneda. In the season of 1976, the squad of Unión Española was totally dismantled, because of offers for their players by other clubs. On the Primera División tournament, Unión finished in the first place withEverton, and both clubs had to play a Championship play-off, that Unión lost. In the Libertadores play-offs, Unión did not qualify to the tournament, after a finish in the third position. However, in 1977, Unión was champion of the tournament.
The years 1980s were irregular season for the Hispanic club. In 1983, Unión made a poor season finishing in the 20th place of 22 teams, meaning the relegation to theSecond Division. Finally, the club not relegated because a decree of the directive of theAsociación Central de Fútbol (AFC). In the next season, Unión integrated the South Group, qualifying withUniversidad Católica. In the Championship play-off, Unión played a quadrangular, finishing in the third place behindCobresal.
After an irregular season in 1987, one of maximum idols of the clubHonorino Landa died. Because his dead, was performed a cup in his honor, called "Copa Honorino Landa". The cup was played againstUniversidad Católica, and the club was defeated by Católica for 3–0. In the same year, the club finished in the twelfth place of 16 teams. In 1988, Unión achieved the runner-up of theCopa Chile, after lossing againstColo-Colo.
In 1989, the club disputed theWinter Cup, tournament designed by theANFP, for keep active the club during the development of theCopa América 1989. In the contest, The Hispanics integrated the Group 3. Unión qualified to the quarter-finals. After winning the quarter-finals and the semi-finals, the club finally disputed the final againstHuachipato, however, Unión won the game by 2–0, crowning champion of the contest.
In 1992, arrivedNelson Acosta to the bench, former coach ofO'Higgins. In the first season of Acosta in Unión, he proclaimed to Unión champion of theCopa Chile 1992, withMarcelo Vega as top-scorer of the team and the contest with 13 goals. However, the club was crowned for second consecutive time of the tournament in1993, beating toCobreloa by 3–1 atEstadio Nacional.
In 1997, Unión Española completed a century of history. In this season, Unión was relegated for first time in its history to the Second Division, now calledPrimera B and the coach Acosta leave the club, because the relegation. For the season 1999, the directive hired to the coachJuvenal Olmos.
Unión Española returned to the Primera División in 2000 with a then-record 70 points. In the Primera División, Unión finished in the fourth place. Because the departure of Juvenal Olmos toUniversidad Católica, the former player Leonardo Véliz arrived as coach in 2001.
The team was under the coach,Fernando Carvallo during two seasons (2003–04). In the second season of Carvallo in Unión, the club was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the play-offs bySantiago Wanderers, during the Torneo de Apertura, and in the Torneo de Clausura of the same year, Unión was runner-up of the tournament, after lossing the final againstCobreloa.
Because the departure of the coach Fernando Carvallo toPalestino, he was replaced byFernando Díaz Seguel, with Díaz Seguel as the coach, Unión Española was champion of the Torneo Apertura 2005, winning the sixth title in Primera División in its history.
Because the title obtained in the Apertura 2005, Unión played theCopa Libertadores 2006. In this international tournament, Unión failed to qualify to the second stage. The club was ubicated in the third position with 8 points alongside Argentine clubNewell's Old Boys, but Newells had more goal difference making that Unión was eliminated of the tournament. However, in the national tournament, Unión made a poor season, finishing in the thirteenth place of the Annual Table.
In the next season, Unión Española made a regular season onTorneo de Apertura 2007, finishing in the eight place. But on theTorneo de Clausura, the team worse totally his performance finishing in the eighteenth place of the Clausura and nearly going to the promotion play–offs after finishing sixteenth place in the Annual Table.
In 2008, under the ArgentineMarcelo Espina as coach, Unión won his first three games ofTorneo de Apertura 2008 againstDeportes Melipilla,Audax Italiano andUniversidad Católica, but on the next weeks the team worse his performance. On July of the same year, the club was purchased by the Spanish employer Jorge Segovia for a fee of 2.500 millionpesos. The first changes after arrival of Segovia to the club, was the hiring ofJorge Garcés as coach, because the departure of Espina. However, Jorge Garcés had a worse performance of Espina, and he was dismissed. The coach Luis Hernán Carvallo arrived in his replace. Shortly after, the club went to the Promotion playoffs againstDeportes Puerto Montt, and the club nearly relegated toPrimera B, after an aggregate result of 5–4.
In the next season, the club made a notable season in theTorneo de Apertura 2009, finishing in the first season at regular phase, qualifying to the play-offs and theCopa Sudamericana 2009, but in the play-offs the team was runner–up of the tournament againstUniversidad de Chile, on a 2–1 aggregate result. Because the first place obtained in the Apertura, Unión qualified to the Copa Sudamericana 2009, the club defeat toLa Equidad on 3–2 aggregate, qualifying to the Round of 16 againstVélez Sársfield, but the team nearly qualified to the quarter-finals, after a loss of 5–4 on the aggregate.
In thePrimera División Chilena 2010, Unión finished in the fifth place with 52 points overHuachipato with 48 points in the sixth place, qualifying to the Libertadores play-offs. In this play-offs, Unión won the tournament againstAudax Italiano in the final, and the team qualficated to the2011 Copa Libertadores First Stage againstBolívar. In the first stage of the tournament, Unión won 1–0 on aggregate, qualifying to the second stage. In the group stage, Unión finished in the last place with 4 points underCaracas in the third position with 7 points.
Unión won the Apertura Tournament of 2013, after defeatingColo-Colo 1–0 on the final match. Although they tied withUniversidad Católica, they won the tournament bygoal difference.
Home games have been played at theEstadio Santa Laura since their 1922 opening.
After Segovia's arrival in May 2008, the stadium was remodeled at a cost of 4 billion pesos. In 2009, the stadium was renamed asEstadio Santa Laura–Universidad SEK.
The club's traditional rivals arePalestino, a team founded by members of thePalestinian diaspora living in Chile andAudax Italiano, which originated from theirlocal Italian counterpart.
With Palestino and Audax, the team plays the so-calledClásico de Colonias ("Diaspora Derby").
Current squad of Unión Española as of 8 August 2024 (edit)
Sources:ANFP Official Web Site
Manager:Miguel Ramírez
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Coach |  Jorge Pellicer |
| Assistant coach | Francisco Quiroz |
| Fitness coach | Felipe Prieto |
| Goalkeepers' coach | Matías Fernández |
| Physician | Cristián Carmona |
| Physiotherapists | Felipe Suárez Pablo Celis |
Unión Española has wonPrimera División seven times, behindColo-Colo (31),Universidad de Chile (18),Universidad Católica (14) andCobreloa (8), as well as winning two Copa Chile titles.
On the South American stage Unión has participated nine times inCopa Libertadores, one time inCopa Sudamericana and one time in theCopa Ganadores de Copa. Unión also was runner-up in theCopa Libertadores of1975.
Acclaimed as one of thefour great of Chilean football, it is one of the longest-lived teams in the country.
Unión Española is also the second oldest club of thePrimera División Chilena behindSantiago Wanderers that was founded in 1892.
It has a branch of women's football, and competes in national tournaments with its lower categories.
